Chasing Us All Underground
by like.totally.awesome
Summary: Being a gay teenager with superpowers in Ohio probably wasn't the easiest life for Kurt Hummel, but with a Warbler named Blaine willing to help him, there was very little to complain about. Klaine. Superpower!AU
1. Chapter 1 Part 1: New Directions

**A/N: Hey :) So this is my first Glee fanfic, meaning that you have to be nice. Actually, you don't, but I prefer constructive criticism to 'you suck!'  
>Warnings: none, really<br>Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, nor am I affiliated with anyone who does, in fact, own it**

**Chasing Us All Underground**

_Chapter 1 Part 1: New Directions_

There were two things Kurt hated more than anything: jocks and Rachel Berry. Not to say that Rachel wasn't one of his best friends, but her stupid ability honestly got on his nerves 99 percent of the time. She never knew when it was appropriate to verbalize people's thoughts (because he knew she couldn't _not_ hear them, but she didn't need to share); for example, when Kurt was busy trying to wash artificial coloring out of his hair, it was not the time to blurt out the dirty language he was thinking (or worse, when she did it in front of the jerks responsible for the artificial coloring in his hair). It was not okay to tell Mercedes that he sometimes thought she was colorblind, especially when he specifically thought-told Rachel _not_ to mention that to Mercedes herself. It wasn't appropriate to laugh about the muscle magazines from sophomore year that were hidden under his bed when in the presence of his father. The list continued, and Rachel seemed to love adding on to it. She was indirectly exposing her ability to the entire school of totally ignorant normal people, to top it all off. And that was why Kurt insisted that she was not, in fact, the leader of New Directions. She was no more in control or inconspicuous as the rest of the group. Mr. Shuester, for once, agreed with him and insisted that there were no leaders in New Directions, only friends and equals all searching for assistance in learning how to live normally with their completely _ab_normal abilities:

Rachel could read minds, and that was amazing, but she needed to work on singling out specific people or perhaps even learning how to turn the ability off when she wanted to. Mercedes saw glimpses of the future, but she had no control over when she saw them or what they were of for the most part. Quinn could stop time; Mr. Shue was hopeful that she would learn how to rewind or fast forward through it at will. Puck was exceptionally strong and Santana was fast on an equivalent level; both defied their teacher's suggestion that they would have an unfair advantage in sports and joined anyway. Sam could suggest things that took root in a person's mind, most of which were followed out but he was working on making them demands instead of suggestions. Finn could fly (clumsily) and Artie could teleport limited distances (luckily with whatever he was touching, so the wheelchair went with him). Tina was becoming an expert at morphing any feature of her body. Mike was indefinitely flexible; he was still working on pushing previous limits and still being able to snap back to his usual form. Brittany, after an unfortunate falling-through-the-floor incident, was still working on controlling her intangibility. And Kurt was the Ice Queen (King, he would say, but he knew what the others said behind his back thanks to Rachel), still trying to freeze vapor/gas out of the air instead of just already liquid or solid objects. It was a slow process for everyone.

Not to mention that their group's cover was a high school show choir. That required extra practices and competitions just to remain intact, totally dominating everyone's schedules. While Kurt loved singing and performing, he was not wholly supportive of their continuance as a glee club. There was only so much time he wanted to spend with these people as they frequently annoyed or upset him with their stupidity. Plus he still had all six of his classes, most of which were Advanced Placement, and all homework assignments, tests, and study sessions included in them. He was only a junior and yet he felt as stressed out and busy as most adults complained to be.

"Kurt! You weren't even listening! How am I supposed to get feedback on my solo if you aren't paying attention?"

Eleven sets of eyes were on him, one irritated and most just as bored as he was but humoring Rachel.

"I heard that Noah. No, I am not a control freak!" the small brunette glanced briefly at the Mohawk-haired teen before returning her glare to Kurt.

"I'm sorry, Rachel. But as you could probably hear, I was busy contemplating how to finish my French essay with enough time to spare to read most of my English book and get enough sleep to be civilized tomorrow."

"My solo is the most important thing right now Kurt. Sectionals is this weekend!"

"And I'm sure you'll pull through. But if I want to get out of this town one day then I have to keep my grades up."

That made the girl shut up momentarily. There wasn't a single person in New Directions that didn't harbor some hope of escaping Lima, Ohio as soon as they were finished with high school. The small town, while not the worst place on earth, was far too sheltered, small-minded, and claustrophobic for all of its inhabitants. Teenagers were more subject to this knowledge than those too old to dream or too young to see reality. There were skeletons in everyone's closets, demons lurking just within the city's borders that would not dare to follow them if only they could run away. Some, like Kurt and Rachel, dreamt of New York City, where Broadway was undoubtedly waiting to cradle their talents and the freedom of the bustling city would be home to them. Others dreamt only as far as Columbus or Cincinnati, maybe Kentucky or Virginia, but still away from their roots. Of course, Mr. Shuester tried to reason with them. He claimed that they would have to work harder, then, on controlling their powers because there was no way they could walk around a big city deafened by the throng of thoughts around them or accidentally walking through someone if they got nervous. It was dangerous outside Lima, where they weren't accustomed to living. He tried to facilitate their dreams while at the same time attempting to shine some realism on them. It never worked.

"We have this in the bag anyway, Rachel," Finn grinned brightly. "There's no way a bunch of old people can beat us."

"Don't forget the Garglers-" Puck began, pausing only to roll his eyes at Kurt's correction of "Warblers."

"They're a bunch of pansies from gay Hogwarts," interjected Santana.

"Just because it's an all-boys school, Satan," Kurt snapped icily, "doesn't mean they're all gay."

"You just hope one of them will offer to remove that stick from your ass, Ice Queen."

Mr. Shue decided then to waltz through the door with an excited smile, followed closely by Ms. Pillsbury. They were both gifted with abilities themselves: Mr. Shuester could manipulate memories while Ms. Pillsbury was able to heal most injuries (except, of course, those inflicted on her). Both seemed oblivious to the tension in the room. Mr. Shue pulled a black marker from his bag and approached the white board at the front of the room. He quickly wrote out the word 'Sectionals' the same way he had for the previous two days and then faced his students.

"Sectionals are in _three _days! So, we need to finalize our set list."

"Why is Ms. Pillsbury here?" Tina piped in.

Mike nodded from beside his girlfriend, "Yeah, she only comes for training."

"We're also going to be doing a training exercise today!"

Everyone groaned.

"Don't worry; it will be basic since I know you're all focused on being a show choir right now."

"Mr. Shue," Rachel ignored all of the 'here she goes again' that she overheard, "I have prepared a solo for the competition that I-"

"I appreciate your enthusiasm Rachel, but I think it's time we shared some other talents. While I know you all joined because of your gifts, it has also been obvious that you can all carry a note nicely, and I hear that Brittany and Mike are exceptional dancers. I want to showcase someone besides just Rachel and Finn this year."

"Finally!" Mercedes exhaled in exasperation.

"So that is why I am giving solos to Santana, Sam, Quinn. I want Sam and Quinn to sing our opening duet, and then we'll have Santana's number, which will have to include the group as well. Also I want to have Mike and Brittany choreograph a routine to put somewhere so we can spotlight it."

"I already know what I want to sing," Santana insisted. "Amy Winehouse's "Valerie"."

"Brittany and I could totally put something together for that."

"Sam and I will sing "The Time of My Life"."

"Is it the apocalypse?" Mercedes whispered into Kurt's ear. "We have a set list before the day of the competition."

The porcelain teen chuckled and linked his arm with his best friend's. "Only time will tell."

* * *

><p>"Come on, Kurt! Work harder! Concentrate!"<p>

Kurt felt his eye twitch in irritation, staring at the same spot in determination that he had been for over ten minutes. He _knew_ there was water in that air somewhere, something he could freeze, but he just couldn't get it to work! He liked to blame nature for making the states of matter so difficult to go between, especially from a gas straight to a solid. He could turn rain to snow up in the atmosphere if he wanted to, but on a normal November afternoon that did not seem to be such a feat when faced with the task of turning water vapor to ice in a quantity that was useful to him.

"Mercedes!" He cried out. "Can you see if I'm ever going to get this stupid thing?"

The other diva was not amused, having broken her trancelike state in attempting to find out the answer to the specific question Mr. Shue had assigned to her for the day ('What is the name of the next President?'). "Figure it out for yourself, white boy. I'm busy."

He blew a strand of hair out of his face in response.

"Kurt! Stop projecting! I'm trying to block you out but you're too _loud_," Rachel complained.

* * *

><p>Sectionals: the smell of desperation hung in the air behind the stage as New Directions double checked their make-up and costumes. By lot they had gotten stuck with going first, and while Rachel was hoping to be the big finish, nothing they could have done would change the line-up. Not to say that she hadn't tried to convince Mr. Shue to just alter a few memories here and there to get them the proper spot, but he would not have it. Certain short, brunette drama queens had sworn an oath of silence until they were guaranteed at least the second performance; no one took Rachel seriously because they knew she could not resist the urge to sing, even if it was only in the background. She had already given up on her promise not to spill the other choirs' set lists until they had already gone on. That lasted all of five minutes, and then the group was made aware that the Warblers were performing "Hey, Soul Sister" and the seniors were singing some hit from the fifties that no one had ever heard of before. Rachel, of course, suggested that if they were to be stuck going first then they should just "borrow" the Warblers' number so that the other teens would be unprepared. While Puck and Quinn seemed to consider it momentarily, no one else agreed that that would be a good idea.<p>

A light flashed overhead while a buzz sounder, signaling their call to the stage. San and Quinn departed to go behind the audience while the others stood on the stage's risers with their backs facing the curtain, waiting for their teammates to reach them.

"And now, from McKinley High in Lima, Ohio: the New Directions!"

The music started to cover up the boys' snickers at the announcer's perceived word jumble.

* * *

><p>"A <em>tie<em>!" screamed Rachel. "How can there be a _tie_?"

The whole of New Directions turned to glare at her.

"Thanks for ruining that one for us, Berry." Quinn rolled her eyes.

"I'm assuming that you meant the Warblers," said Kurt in annoyance, "because I doubt the other group was convincing enough as a show choir with their hip replacements giving out and their denture glue winking at the judges."

"Yes, of course I meant _the Warblers_. How could this have happened? It's because I didn't get the solo, I'm sure of it! Look at what you did, Santana!"

"I got us that tie," Santana nodded. "You would have given first place to gay Hogwarts-"

"Santana!" Kurt shouted angrily.

"I calls it how it is, Hummel. Not that I wouldn't mind getting it on with some of those prep school boys, but they scream 'homo' with every birdy note."

"I thought they were birds, not dolphins." Brittany tilted her head in confusion.

"They're both, I guess." Finn smiled (although he was equally confused by the entire conversation).

"I'm going to get a drink," huffed Kurt.

He made his way out of their backstage dressing room and into the main lobby, where people meandered aimlessly while waiting for the results. No one that he recognized was there; no one from school would come to support the glee club, and his father and his stepmother were at work even though they wanted to come. He nodded at a few of the older competitors that smiled and congratulated his team on their amazing performance. Kurt spotted a few blue blazers around and contemplated whether or not Rachel would consider it fraternizing with the enemy if he said anything to them. Deciding that it was best not to risk one of her rants, he approached the concession stand and stood in boredom behind the rest of the line.

"You're in New Directions, right?" a voice called from behind him.

He spun around to face a Warbler he recognized as the lead singer, and no, he most certainly had not spent most of their performance drooling over the boy's dreamy voice and good looks. He was relatively short, maybe two inches under Kurt's height, with hair that was contained under a helmet of gel. His hazel eyes seemed to stare right through his soul, as cliché as that was.

"Y-yeah. And you're in…the Warblers?" The public school student pretended to be unsure.

"Yes," the other boy smiled. Kurt practically swooned. "I loved your performance. You really have some gifts at McKinley."

"Oh yes, gifts we have plenty of," Kurt said back, half to himself. "I mean- I loved you guys too. It was really… unique. I've never heard Train sung acapella."

"I'm Blaine." The shorter of the two stuck out his hand.

"Kurt." He would swear to the death that the feeling of Blaine's slightly calloused hands, obviously from playing guitar (which was swoon-worthy itself), did not make him blush from his neck to his toes.

"Well, good luck to you and your group, Kurt. You deserve to win."

They didn't say anything else until Kurt had bought his Diet Coke, and then all that was exchanged was a quick 'bye'. It was a far cry from the beginnings of a friendship, but Kurt liked to think that it only proved his theory that Rachel was full of ignorance and that not everyone was as competitive and out to steal set lists. His smug smile and the thoughts of the encounter running through his head when he was close enough to the girl to project served to make her frown deepen and her arms to cross. It was an accomplishment that Kurt personally wanted to thank Blaine the Warbler for, but figured it would sound strange if he did.

Then again, contemplating the pros and cons of every color known to man in order to picture the perfect tuxedo for said Warbler might have been the slightest bit stranger when put in the context of imagining one's wedding to a person they didn't even know the last name of.


	2. Chapter 1 Part 2: The Warblers

**A/N: I had both parts of Chapter 1 already written so I figured I might as well post them both for you. If you like it, can you let me know? Favorites/reviews would make my day(s). :) Also, I thought I'd mention that I screwed around with canon in that Blaine is _older_ than Kurt. Blaine's a senior while Kurt's a junior. That's just how it's always been in my head.  
>Warnings: OOC!Blaine<strong>

_Chapter 1 Part 2: The Warblers_

Blaine Anderson was not an angry person by any means. He was prone to an outburst every once and a while, that was true, but he was gentlemanly and kind. Or so his parents had raised him to be. And that was why it came as such a surprise when he was arrested for assault and damage to school property. Where had the little boy, the one that liked to sing along to Disney movies and play tea parties with his little sister, gone? The Sadie Hawkins dance of '07 at Westerville High was the night that changed Blaine Anderson, and not entirely for the better.

It, of course, began when he asked Michael Lambert, the only other gay guy in the school (sometimes fourteen-year-old Blaine thought that they were the only two in Ohio), to go with him as his date. That was the metaphorical strikes 1 and 2. The dance itself went quite well despite everyone's expectations; it was when they tried to leave that things went awry.

The football team was the main opponent of Blaine and Michael's "coming out" idea. They took it upon themselves to meet the couple at the exit to the gym and to lure them behind the building for some 'man-to-man bonding'. While bonding didn't usually include beating up the freshman participants, it did that time. They took Michael down first for cowering against the wall while a sophomore wide receiver held Blaine back. The anger inside of the smaller boy grew and mutated within him until something snapped.

It was common knowledge that the area behind the gymnasium was the main smoking area of the public school; it just so happened that Joseph Nettle had decided to use the opportunity that the dance provided as a distraction to the administration to continue his tobacco addiction. The spark from his lighter that was usually so harmless expanded exponentially until it was a roaring flame twice the size of Joseph's face; the fire licked at his neck and hand until he dropped the object in shock and in pain. It only grew more and snaked through the air with a crackling power to its new master, Blaine, who had no time to be shocked like his peer. He snapped the whip of fire at his restrainer's feet until he was set free and the proceeded to send the flames into a sky-high wall of force between his date and his date's attackers, shouting profanities that no one was listening to as they stared in horror and hoped desperately that their night would not end in being burnt alive. Even Michael, who could have very well been grateful for being rescued, thought nothing but that he wished to make it home in one piece.

The police arrived soon after and arrested Blaine Anderson, 14, for the burns on Joseph Nettle, 16, and the fire damage to school property. It was contained enough not to set the gym aflame and so the arson charge was lessened, and no one _saw_ Blaine hurt Joseph, so that one was as well. But he was still looking at the rest of his adolescence in juvenile hall until he could be perhaps tried at adulthood. He was set free two weeks after the arrest when a man named Dr. Lawrence Sterling came down to the station and worked something out with the district attorney to let Blaine go, with his record wiped clean and no exposure of the charges against him. For some reason, the terms were met and Blaine was released into Dr. Sterling's watchful eye.

The psychiatrist revealed himself to be, what he called, a 'supernatural': a human in every definition, except that just happened to possess some excess gift of the comic book hero variety. Dr. Sterling, for example, was able to create illusions- visible mirages that looked and stimulated the senses in a very real way. In fact, they were so realistic that people swore they could touch them. While the illusions were incapable of harming a person in any way, the shock was usually enough to get Dr. Sterling's point across. As it turned out, the district attorney was terrified of snakes… the man wasn't particularly proud of coercing people into things, but he needed to get things done to ensure the safety and anonymous nature of his students. He was the Dean at Dalton Academy, a private school for boys, where there was a group of students like Blaine. They were a show choir to the school, an acapella group, which secured them their own floor of one of the dormitories and plenty of excuses for private meetings when they needed to practice their abilities. They were all close, sharing a bond of nature that was not something most could understand, and were aware of Blaine. They wanted to meet him. But it was up to Blaine.

It took very little persuading to get his parents to sign the transfer papers.

* * *

><p>"Take it from the top, Warblers!"<p>

Wes was usually stubbornly oblivious to the hateful glares he received from the club during training. While he was ruthless in show choir practice, insisting that they sound flawlessly put-together, Wes was somehow more disagreeable in training. He had as close to control of his telekinetic abilities as he was probably every going to get, and so he deemed himself the head of the Warbler Council and the personal trainer to each and every one of the Warblers. His best friend/cohort David stayed out of the dictatorship mentality and tried very, very hard not to gloat that best friend privileges helped him survive Councilman Wes' tyranny. Plus, he was pretty good at quickly and efficiently exposing his organic metal skin-layer and once it was in place there was little left for him to do thanks to the virtually indestructible material. The final Council member, Thad, had figured out his power (the ability to produce miniature bombs that set off when they hit a solid surface) at a young age and so Wes spared him from the vigorous exercises.

Blaine, while good friends with all three Council members in normal circumstances, was one of Wes' favorites to torment and push beyond his limits. Blaine knew in the back of his head that the other boy was just trying to help him out and force him to reach his potential, but ever since the first outbreak of his power there was this excess anger residing just under his skin that threatened to send a large flame right into the Asian's face. But he tried, and he excelled quickly to being a pseudo-leader in the Warblers, both the musical group and the supernaturals.

So when offered the solo at Sectionals, Blaine accepted. And it went perfectly. He was so giddy on energy that he barely watched the other performances and soon found himself out in the lobby waiting for the results, positive that the Warblers would win for the first time since 1996. He was so out of it that he almost ran into the person in front of him, thankfully the person didn't notice. But his outfit, a red button down shirt and black slacks reminded him of the first group that went up… what was it? Nude- oh, he remembered. The announcer had screwed it up and the Warblers spent most of the group's number giggling like schoolgirls. Somehow hoping he could make up for the embarrassment, Blaine decided to speak up.

"You're in New Directions, right?" Blaine made sure to enunciate the 'eye' in Directions.

The other boy turned around (Blaine briefly made a mental note that he should probably not talk to strangers that weren't even looking in his direction). But as soon as his eyes met those of the other performer, his rational brain was dead. He was the most beautiful person Blaine had ever seen, perhaps the most beautiful person in the entire world. His pale skin looked so smooth that the Warbler had to restrain himself from reaching out to stroke his cheek. He was tall, taller than Blaine at least, with legs that somehow stretched forever. And his eyes… Blaine hoped that he could die staring into the blue-green-gray mixture that was the boy's eyes…

"Y-Yeah. And you're in… the Warblers?" His voice was like a choir of angels; oh God, Blaine was hooked on this boy.

"Yes. I loved your performance. You really have some gifts at McKinley." Not that he had been listening to the New Directions at the time, but he was berating himself for it and swore to Google them or something.

The other boy mumbled something to himself before seeming to catch his mistake, "I mean- I loved you guys too. It was really… unique. I've never heard Train sung acapella." From him, it was the greatest compliment that any boy could receive.

But wait! Blaine almost slapped himself. He didn't even know the boy's _name_… "I'm Blaine." He was certain that the name he would receive in return would be something as gorgeous as the boy… something unique, something breath taking, something-

"Kurt." _Kurt_. It was _perfect_. And oh- had he put his hand out? He hadn't remembered offering a handshake… he certainly had no regrets, feeling _Kurt's_ soft porcelain skin was better than any feeling in the world. It was better than he had imagined it would be.

Realizing that he was staring dreamily, Blaine scrambled for something to say as he reluctantly let go. "Well, good luck to you and your group, Kurt." It even sounded good coming from his lips. How could he do the name justice when it was so magnificent, as it described the- the _angel_ before him. "You deserve to win."

The boy, _Kurt_, turned around again to order his drink (a Diet Coke) and then he left with a cute 'bye' that had Blaine sighing happily. He looked at the young girl waiting impatiently for whatever he wanted and the first thing that came out of his mouth was 'Diet Coke', after which he stuttered and blurted out 'Red Vines' just to make sure that it didn't seem like he was that aware of what the customer before him had been ordering. The girl didn't seem to care.

It was only when he was returning to the Warblers' room that he realized he didn't even like Diet Coke, but as he took a sip of the liquid he imagined a certain boy doing the very same thing and then it wasn't so bad. Especially when he pictured Kurt licking his lips quickly to make sure there was no soda remaining on them with a little smile of contentment. It was pure bliss really, Diet Coke. He had no idea why he'd never liked it before.

And then it hit him. Regionals. He would get to see Kurt again. A slow grin spread its way onto his face as he sipped his drink again and entered the Warblers' room, completely oblivious to the stares he got as he did so.

"What's wrong with Blaine?" Jeff whispered into his boyfriend's ear.

"He looks like he's either gone insane, or fallen in love," Nick replied.

"I'd go for the second one," said David.

"Guys! I've figured it out!" Everyone, including Blaine (who had snapped out of his trance enough to pay some attention to his friends), turned to look at the newest Warbler, a freshman named Mason. He had been pondering something all afternoon but refused to tell what was on his mind until he knew what was bothering him. "Normally when my hands are tingling it's because there's another supernatural around, but it was like my skin was literally crawling with energy. The only time that happens is when I'm around all of you! 'Cause there's a lot of you all together. A group here must be like us!"

"I doubt it's the old people," Thad speculated. "They hardly seem to possess any abilities."

"It might not be a show choir," Wes pursed his lips in thought. "It could just be a group in the audience."

"Yeah, but why would they be here? The only audience members are people from Dalton, the old folks' families, and people for the New D_i_rections," Mason argued.

"That is a good point."

"So what you're saying is that you think New Directions are a group of supernaturals who, like us, have taken on the disguise as a show choir to cover their training times?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying!" The freshman smiled, sure of his own brilliance.

"The only problem with that is that we can't do anything about it," reasoned Trent. "We can't get them to reveal their powers, and we would expose ourselves if we even bothered to ask."

"They must have a teacher," said Flint. "Someone to guide them and to have suggested a glee club. Maybe Dr. Sterling knows?"

"I don't think my dad would keep something like that from us," Jeff shook his head doubtfully.

"Well it's not like we needed to know, per say. It would be nice to know that we're not totally alone, but it's not really up to him to decide to reveal others. Maybe they're not comfortable with their abilities or something?" David tried to be the peacemaker before an argument could even begin.

_New Directions were supernaturals?_ Blaine thought in disbelief. That meant Kurt, _his Kurt_, could understand him. They could be together and there would be no secrets! He was so excited that the music sheets he had been placing back into his bag began smoking before he realized it and let them go. Anger, while the most powerful of his emotions, was not the only one to invoke his ability. Anything really could do it, but he hadn't expected happy anticipation to do the trick. He decided then and there that he had to be more careful if this boy was going to make him start random uncontrolled fires again. That thought led to another, though, and that was that if he was going to have to control himself for this boy than of course that meant they were going to have a relationship. Friends he could live with for a while, but he was determined that Kurt would definitely love him one day just so that he could forever call that beautiful boy _his_.


	3. Chapter 2: Mentors

**A/N: So this is a little shorter, but I wanted to get something out before tomorrow since I'll be too busy to write :) Happy Holidays!  
>Also, I kkinda think the meeting was a little awkward because I tried to introduce everyone to each other and stuff, and I hate writing intro things...so yeah, oh well :) It was also going to be totally different but I didn't like the way I had written their first encounter so I rewrote the whole thing.<strong>

_Chapter 2: __Mentors_

After the crippling tie at Sectionals, Rachel had gone into even more of an insane trance in which she insisted that they should cancel all training sessions in order to perfect their show choir aspect. Mr. Shuester whole-heartedly disagreed. In fact, he announced the next meeting that he had a… surprise, of sorts. Something that they could benefit from whether or not they liked it. Kurt was certain that that meant there was no way he was going to enjoy whatever it was that Mr. Shue had in mind.

That was how the twelve members of New Directions found themselves packed into three cars, four carefully chosen people per vehicle, driving towards the farm land that made up the outside border of southern Lima. Kurt, Finn, and Puck were selected by Mr. Shue to drive one of the cars, and their "riding buddies" were chosen for them. Obviously Mr. Shue had something in mind, because he made sure to stress that they were not to lose any of their group mates, and that they were not allowed to split up unless it was a life/death situation. The teacher even went so far as to give them _partners_ within their groups. It was honestly too detailed to not be foreshadowing a training exercise.

Kurt was partnered with Brittany, so she sat in his Navigator's passenger seat with Santana and Tina in the back. While he liked Brittany, he wasn't too sure about the positive consequences of trying to fight with her as his partner. Rachel and Puck were put with Quinn and Artie, which proved to be a group half-filled with pretty useless powers for an offensive attack. Of course, the partnership of Sam and Mercedes was also pretty useless, but their other half of Finn and Mike promised to have their backs if it was a fight they were driving towards. With every passing mile it seemed more and more likely as they drove further away from civilized areas and into open country where no one would notice if a bunch of teens used supernatural abilities.

"You better not trip me up," Santana grumbled.

"Yes, because that's possible," Tina rolled her eyes. "Just don't leave me when you decide to run away."

"Yay! My dolphin is going to protect me!"

"You know, it's kind of stupid that we didn't ask Rachel what Mr. Shue's plan is."

Kurt looked in his rearview mirror to exchange a sigh with Tina, who had enlightened them to their mistake. "Great. Now Puck, Quinn, and Artie will have a heads up while we flounder for a strategy."

"Are we fighting each other?"

"I doubt it, losers."

Kurt pulled into a barren field behind Finn and Puck, parking his Navigator a bit away from the other two cars just in case they _were_ supposed to be fighting each other. He wouldn't want to get ambushed as soon as they got out. The four saw the rest of New Directions meandering around together and headed towards them with caution.

"Don't worry," Rachel smiled lightly. "We're not fighting each other."

"Then who are we-"

"They're here," was all the small Jewish girl said before making her way to the rest of her foursome and standing beside Puck.

Brittany intertwined her fingers with Kurt's and gave him a grin. He smiled back forcefully and motioned for Tina and Santana to stand with them.

A group of people, who looked to be high schoolers as well, approached from the distance. There were twelve of them too.

"Warblers," Rachel nodded when they reached the other team.

All of New Directions (sans Rachel) was shocked. The Warblers, the _show choir_, they had seen on Saturday were facing them with identical easy-going smiles. How was that even _possible_?

"Mr. Shue and their advisor, Dr. Sterling, are good friends," explained Rachel. "We weren't going to meet them, but then the youngest Warbler sensed us at Sectionals, so now here we are."

"You…_sensed_ us?" Finn questioned.

"That's my power!" A younger looking boy spoke up. He seemed proud of himself. "I sense other supernaturals."

"Your teacher, Mr. Shuester," a dark-skinned boy said calmly, "Asked us to help you train. We like to think that we've become pretty good at controlling our own abilities and understanding the mechanics behind it. If you're okay with this, we would like to try to teach you some of what we've learned."

"You're in groups of four so that we can break off and help you in smaller, more focused groups. Unfortunately you teacher was adamant that we should find out about your gifts in person, and not in advance, so we haven't decided who would be the best to help you each individually," the Asian boy beside him continued. "I'm Wes, and I have telekinetic abilities."

"It means he can move things with his mind, Finn," Rachel interjected. Finn mumbled a 'thanks.'

"I'm David," the darker boy added. "I can will an organic metal armor over my skin. As far as we can tell, it's pretty indestructible."

"I bet I could put a dent in it," Puck grinned devilishly. "The name's Puck."

One by one, the Warblers introduced themselves and New Directions claimed each to help them with either their powers or, in some cases, their combat skills in case of emergency. There was only one Warbler left, in the back of the group, and Kurt almost smacked himself for not realizing sooner-

"Blaine!" he exclaimed happily. "It's nice to see you again."

The shorter boy seemed to have his own moment of realization before he returned Kurt's smile, only breaking eye contact to glare at Rachel when she began to giggle to herself.

"Hi Kurt; what do you do?"

"Oh, nothing much. I just freeze things here and there."

Blaine laughed and snapped his fingers (more for effect than necessity), lighting a small flame on his fingertip and holding it in front of his face as if studying it closely. "Then I guess this can't be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Not only are we competing at Regionals, but you're the Ice King while I'm a fire demon. It would never work out," he teased.

Kurt chuckled lightly and pulled Blaine's arm to guide him over to where Brittany and the rest of his small group were already getting to work on their powers. He thought, momentarily, about how easy it was to chat with Blaine despite only meeting each other once before. The differences between the two encounters were striking. The first was polite smiles while now Blaine was treating him like they were old friends. He preferred the most recent meeting, of course, and hoped that there would be many more like it. He could get used to being friendly with Blaine…

"Okay, so what are you working on?" The Warbler looked at him with as much seriousness as he could muster.

"I've been trying, the key word is _trying_ here, to freeze the water in the air. You know, so that it can be useful. Otherwise I'm kind of useless."

"I've got an idea of how to ease you into it." Blaine turned and called his teammate (the one that was working with Brittany) over. "Kurt, this is Josh. In case you weren't listening, he turns invisible. Josh, Kurt's trying to learn how to freeze water in the atmosphere but it's kind of hard to do things if you can't see what you're working with, eh? So I'm thinking, hey, there's water in people and Josh can be something you can't see. So Kurt, you try to freeze him while he's invisible to start working on it. And Josh, if you feel it coming on then turn visible again so we know where you are."

The other Warbler, a lanky boy with bright red hair and an inviting smile, disappeared from sight. Kurt stared at the spot where he had been forcefully and tried desperately to freeze the water he knew was contained inside the other person. It wasn't working.

"You're trying too hard," Blaine placed his hand on Kurt's shoulder. "You have to _feel_ your ability and make it a part of you. Try to feel the water around you naturally."

Kurt closed his eyes and breathed deeply, imagining himself spreading in all directions and enveloping the surrounding area. He imagined Josh and all of the miniscule droplets of water that must have been around him somewhere… He opened his eyes slowly to see Josh come back into view just in time to be frozen solid. Kurt gaped openly while Brittany wrapped her arms around him in excitement, cheering for her dolphin. He couldn't believe that he had actually done it. Blaine's smile grew exponentially while he worked on slowly warming Josh back up, placing his hands on the boy's arms and letting warmth flow between them. The attempt was successful and Josh grinned down at Kurt as if he hadn't been frozen by the other boy just moments before.

* * *

><p>Blaine couldn't help the smile that seemed to be permanently stuck on his face. There was no denying that Kurt kept igniting flaming butterflies in his stomach to impossibly warm him and to send him into a panic. He had no idea how to act around the other boy, but it seemed as though he was rather good at winging it. There was no denying that knowing he was also a supernatural made the attraction ten times stronger with all of the possibilities for a relationship of understanding and trust, without having to keep the largest secret of his life from the person he was supposed to tell everything to. And the boy was good, too; there was no doubt that he would be perfect in a training match or if Blaine just needed to let off some steam before his emotions bottled up and he exploded. He could… cool him down. Oh, irony seemed to love Blaine Anderson. Fire and ice, what a match.<p>

Then again, he didn't even know if Kurt was _gay._ He didn't like to make assumptions, even if the boy was a bit high-pitched and flamboyantly dressed, so he opted to wait to hear it from Kurt's own lips. But it was hard watching the blonde girl hug him all the time or wrap her arm around his or hold his hand or whatever else they did. She seemed sweet, but Blaine had a crush and she was in the way of it. He wasn't proud of all of the tactics he tried to use to get her (and subsequently Josh) to go away. None of them worked because she was a walking blonde joke multiplied by infinity and given super powers.

"Brit, why don't you go work with Josh some more?" Kurt said gently, soothingly…Blaine sighed in contentment, both at Brittany leaving and Kurt's soft voice. "Sorry, she's a little clingy."

"That's okay. Do you want to try again?"

Kurt closed his eyes and unintentionally gave Blaine the chance to study him. He promised to himself that one day he would have every smooth curve and every bit of ivory skin memorized and then he would start again continuously into forever. Maybe that was a little forward… Blaine broke his concentration to watch in awe as a delicate sphere of ice formed just in front of Kurt's face out of seemingly nothing.

"Kurt… look."

The porcelain boy opened his eyes and smiled the most breathtaking smile the Warbler had ever seen. His teeth didn't show, Blaine noted. He found it absolutely adorable, especially when combined with the little crinkle of his nose and the glint in his blue-green-gray eyes.

"I did it. Oh my Gaga, I did it! Blaine, you're a _genius_!"

And before he could get out a reply he found himself pressed tightly against cashmere with delicately styled hair ticking his cheek and the scent of vanilla enticing his nostrils. Thin but strong arms were wrapped around his neck; taking a chance, Blaine wrapped his own arms around Kurt's waist and rested his hands on his back. He honestly swore that he must have been in Heaven; there was no other way to describe it. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest and if he just turned his head a bit to the left… He practically _drank_ in Kurt's smell as he lightly touched his nose to the other boy's neck and tried not to lean in so far that Kurt could feel his smile on his skin. That was far too intimate for a first hug.

They both pulled back sheepishly with blushes rising on their cheeks, but Kurt's smile only got wider if anything.

"Keep it PG, boys!" Rachel shouted.


	4. Chapter 3: Born This Way

**A/N: Sorry there was a bit of a wait for this chapter, but it's winter break and I have to spend time with family and all :)  
>I actually wanted to put this chapter later on in the nonexistant plot but I hate writing filler chapters and I ran out of ideas, so this is what you get!<br>**

_Chapter 3: __Born This Way_

"Hey, sorry I'm late."

Kurt looked up from his grande nonfat mocha and into the hazel eyes he had grown accustomed to in the past month or so. He smiled contently and motioned for Blaine to sit down in the chair across from him at the Lima Bean before the frazzled Warbler could apologize again.

"It's fine, Blaine. I know you had Warbler practice and Wes can be a little…demanding. How did it go?"

"Really well!" Blaine grinned excitedly. "Trent got me really angry but I didn't even feel close to setting something on fire! _And_ the Council is thinking about giving me another solo for Regionals since Sectionals went so well."

"You do have an amazing voice," Kurt agreed. "The Warblers are lucky to have you."

"Has Mr. Shuester given out solos for New Directions yet?"

"No. Regionals is still months away. We're working on whatever projects he gives us every week. This week it's duets."

"Who are you singing with?"

"So far… no one," he sighed, trying not to look _too_ dejected.

"But there are twelve people…?"

"Puck is suspended for at least another week because he destroyed the slushie machine at school. We don't get slushie facials every morning for a while, but it means we only have eleven members and _of course_ that makes me the odd one out."

"Don't think like that. You're perfect."

Kurt looked across the table, shocked but pleasantly surprised. The blush on his face made Blaine's smile come back in full force.

"And anyway," the older boy continued, "can't Mr. Shuester make an exception?"

"He doesn't seem to notice. I don't know how he missed the number when he assigned the project."

"Well, _I_ would have jumped at the chance to duet with you."

"Thanks…"

"How is the rest of school?"

"Oh, classes are fine and all but this Neanderthal has made it his mission to make my life a living hell."

"I'm sorry, Kurt. I know how that can be…"

"You do?"

"I was bullied before I came to Dalton. The faculty was just like 'hey, if you're gay, life's just going to suck. Sorry.' I ran… But you… you don't have to, Kurt. Don't let them put you down or belittle who you are. You have the chance to do everything I'll always wish I did. You can make a difference. It just takes a little courage."

* * *

><p>Kurt stood at his locker, staring longingly at the picture of himself and Blaine that he had taken with his phone at the Lima Bean on their tenth visit there. They both were coffee addicts, it seemed, and the little coffee shop quickly became <em>theirs<em>. The baristas knew them by name. In a normal circumstance, Kurt would have sworn off coffee for a while to avoid seeming so pathetic, but with Blaine he could think of nothing but spending more time with the boy. He was in the middle of shutting his locker door when a force knocked into his side and sent him face forward into the locker beside his and then onto the ground. He looked up to see David Karofsky, the brutish football player who seemed to enjoy making his life a living hell, walking into the locker room with a smug grin. Kurt followed angrily without knowing why he was even bothering.

"Trying to catch a peek of my junk, fairy?" Karofsky sneered.

"Hunks of meat aren't my type."

"Oh really-"

"What is your _problem_? Do you think shoving people into lockers can change who they are? Because it _can't_."

Karofsky backed him into the wall of lockers behind him with a fist raised.

"Go ahead! Hit me! You can't punch the gay out of me any more than I can punch the ignoramus out of you!"

The hit did come, and it caught his left eye hard enough to make him groan in pain. But then, before another could follow, he squinted at his bully in time to see his face drawing nearer before he… kissed him. The kiss was forceful and cold, and Kurt was honestly terrified. Karofsky pulled back when he didn't respond and shoved him to the ground. Kurt scrambled to get back up but the jock straddled his hips and sent blow after blow at his torso while simultaneously unbuttoning Kurt's shirt. The smaller boy tried to scream but his voice died in his throat as he felt the other's arousal on his stomach. Tears cascaded down Kurt's face; Karofsky didn't seem to mind. Kurt bit his lip so hard that it bled continuously but it wasn't enough to distract him from the meaty fingers that attempted to unzip his jeans. That was the last straw. The fear snapped inside his mind and body; the very next second Karofsky's skin was tinted a blueish-purple and frost gathered in his hair. He was a solid icicle and still Kurt could not move as he finally let himself sob.

* * *

><p>Blaine stared intently at his Calculus book but it still didn't make sense five minutes after taking the first look at the problem he was assigned. He sighed and tapped his fingers on the desk impatiently. There was nothing he hated more than math. He looked up at the clock on his dorm room wall only to huff and turn his focus back to the ridiculous homework he had to finish before the next morning. Time went so…slowly…<p>

'_-I'm defying gravity! And you won't bring me down-'_

Blaine shot up from his nap and dug around in his pockets for his phone until he located the small device. The caller ID read '_Kurt :)'_. He smiled happily and pushed his chair away from his desk, leaving the Calculus to the back of his mind until further notice.

"Hey Kurt!"

The only response he got was muffled cries. Blaine was immediately worried and pulled his car keys off his bedside table. He was on the way out of the door before the other boy could manage to get a single word out.

"K-Karof-" harder sobs, "H-he tried to-" here it was approaching wailing, "and I couldn't- I didn't-"

"Kurt, I need you to calm down, okay? You need to calm down before you make yourself sick. I'm on my way to Lima right now. Where are you?"

"M-McKinley. Locker room."

"90 minutes tops, okay? Stay on the line so I know you're alright."

* * *

><p>Blaine felt no regret in walking into the public school and ignoring the signs that told him to check in at the office. Normally he would have followed them like a good citizen who didn't want to seem suspicious, but he had bigger concerns. It took longer than he would have liked to find the locker rooms, but Kurt's directions were soaked in tears and he didn't have the heart to ask him to speak more clearly. When he got there he could hear the boy's soft crying from both the receiver at his ear and from the other end of the room he had entered. He didn't hang up, just in case.<p>

"Kurt?" he called out.

A vague 'here' sounded from the far corner of the locker room so he weaved in and out of the rows until he came upon a sight he honestly wasn't expecting. It sent anger flaring up and he could have sworn that there was steam coming out of his nostrils. His phone was quickly discarded into his pocket as he knelt beside Kurt and brushed the hair out of the younger's eyes to try and soothe him. Blaine could tell that Kurt didn't want him to see what was going on, but there was no way around it. It was obvious that the jock on top of him was frozen solid, and Kurt had no way of getting out from under him or of unfreezing the teen. Blaine took in the sight of Kurt's bruised chest and hastily unbuttoned shirt along with the hand frozen in the act of unzipping his jeans and it took very little guesswork to figure out what would have happened had Kurt's powers not kicked in. Swelling was quickly hiding one of Kurt's beautiful eyes and Blaine found himself growing more furious every second that passed. He took a few deep breaths to stay calm for the terrified boy who had called him in his time of need and slowly, very slowly, extended a hand to first unfreeze the jock enough to get Kurt off the floor.

It was a tedious process that took ten minutes before the boy with porcelain skin could wriggle out from underneath the bully he labeled as 'Karofsky' and to throw himself into Blaine's arms. A new round of tears began from both boys and all Blaine could do was rub small circles into Kurt's back and hope that he would never have to face something like that again.

After Kurt had calmed down slightly, Blaine kissed his forehead tenderly (a move he hoped didn't seem to out of place for friends who were both gay) and handed the other his keys.

"Why don't you get in my car and wait for me while I finish this?"

* * *

><p>Thawing out Karofsky took far longer than Blaine had wanted to spend on the Neanderthal. He couldn't go too fast or else the teen would have ended up burnt to a crisp, and if he went too slowly the freezing temperatures would have killed him as well. It had to be done evenly to start the blood flowing again, even if Blaine really just wanted the guy to die on the spot. By the time he was done and the idiot was knocked out on the floor, it had been at least an hour since Kurt had gone to his car.<p>

Blaine half-sprinted out of the school and to the parking lot where he had parked his car, hoping that Kurt hadn't decided to go home some other way. When he pulled open the door and slid into his seat behind the wheel, he found the younger boy curled up in the passenger seat with his knees pulled to his chest and Blaine's spare Dalton blazer from the back seat wrapped around his shoulders. There were tear stains on his porcelain cheeks and his eye was definitely showing the bruising already, but he stared, with one puffy eye, calmly at Blaine for the first time that afternoon.

"Do you want to go home?" Blaine asked, unsure of how to deal with the situation.

A slight nod from Kurt and the engine was started quickly. The car ride to the Hummel-Hudson home was totally silent, and unlike the comfortable silences in the Lima Bean that they shared over countless grande nonfat mochas and medium drips, the tension made Blaine grip the steering wheel like a lifeline. He wanted to say something, anything, to erase the attack that he knew Kurt would struggle with for years to come, but the words couldn't make it past his vocal cords and Kurt seemed to be determined not to talk about it. Blaine pulled into the driveway behind a truck that he knew belonged to Kurt's step-brother.

"Come in with me," Kurt whispered. "I don't…I don't want to…" Whatever he meant to say couldn't be voiced. Blaine nodded and stepped out of the car, walking around to the other side to offer his friend a hand of comfort.

The two approached the door and, seeing as Kurt had left his keys in his bag that still sat uselessly under his locker at school, Blaine knocked on the door casually.

"What took you so- oh my God," Finn exclaimed. He moved out of the way for Kurt and Blaine to step inside, but then he was immediately by his step-brother's side and studying his black eye. "Who did this?"

"It's- it's nothing, Finn…I-"

"It's not _nothing_! Who the hell did this to you?"

Kurt winced and curled in on himself; Blaine wanted to glare at Finn but he knew that the boy was concerned and had no idea what was going on.

"When is Kurt's dad going to be home?" the Warbler asked to change the subject slightly.

"When am I going to be home to see what?" a voice called from the open doorway.

"Dad," Kurt let out a breath.

It seemed as though at that moment Mr. Hummel got a good look at his son: from the disheveled hair that was normally immaculate to his black eye to the missing buttons on his shirt, Kurt was a mess.

"What…happened?" It sounded like the man was trying seriously hard to control his temper before he began shouting.

"Kar- I- Bully- I don't- I'm sorry," Kurt choked out. He flung his arms around his father's waist and cried for the umpteenth time that afternoon.

Mr. Hummel looked up to Blaine with a questioning gaze laced in concern and anger.

"I don't know exactly what happened…but Kurt called me at about two thirty sobbing. When I got to the school he was in the locker room. I guess his powers went in some sort of defense mode because a…a jock was frozen on top of him in the act of- of unbuttoning Kurt's shirt and…" Blaine swallowed his disgust with difficulty, "and unzipping his pants."

The man's face flared red in fury and his grip around Kurt tightened protectively. Finn ran a hand through his hair, looking half confused and half planning revenge. Blaine's anger flared up again after the words had leaked out of his mouth – the reality of the situation hit harder once he had admitted what he had seen and that he hadn't been there to stop it.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hummel. If I had known something like this was going to happen… I wouldn't have told Kurt to stand up against that guy…"

"You didn't know, son. It's not your…It's not your fault," Mr. Hummel responded in determination. "How long has this been going on?"

Kurt sniffed and wiped away some of his tears. "A while."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Your heart…I couldn't add more stress and I could handle it until…until today."

"Kurt. You're my _son_."

When new sobs broke through the thick air of tension and regret in the room, it was Kurt's turn to comfort his father.


	5. Chapter 4: Moving On

**A/N: Here you go! I (finally) came up with a new chapter. There's a bit of a POV switch (in that the whole 3rd person limited thing focuses on Rachel instead of Kurt or Blaine) towards the middle. Hopefully it didn't turn out weirdly. I'm just trying to get back on 'plot' so there's a bit of inconsistancy with Kurt moving on surprisingly quickly from the attack but I promise it isn't all fine and dandy. I love angst; I can't just let it go like that.**

**Chasing Us All Underground**

_Chapter 4: __Moving On_

"How are you holding up?"

Kurt gave a small smile to his father and motioned slightly to the screen in front of him where The Sound of Music was playing.

"I'm getting better."

"That's a step up from Titanic, I suppose."

Kurt paused for a moment, trying to come up with a better wording for what he wanted to ask. Eventually he gave up and threw subtlety out the window.

"Has Blaine called?"

"Not since yesterday night. You didn't get off the phone until three in the morning, Kurt. Give the boy a break."

The teen blushed darkly and looked anywhere but at his grinning dad.

"I know you like him, Kurt. I'm not that dense."

"I do not!"

"Yes you do."

"Fine, I do. But it doesn't matter. He already saw himself as my mentor _before_ Karofsky decided to… well, you know." He frowned and picked at a loose thread on the pillow beside him. "Anyway, now he'll never like me back because I've been strictly friend-zoned."

"It was never this complicated when I was your age."

"I'm sure it was for everyone but the oblivious jocks on the football team," he teased.

Burt gave his son a firm pat on the shoulder. "I have to go down to the garage. You'll call me if anything happens?"

"Of course. Hey dad… I, um, I still have to go to Glee today because we're working with the Warblers… do you think you could drive me? My car's still at McKinley…"

"Sure, kiddo. I'll come back for a late lunch around 2 and then I'll take you over."

"Thanks, dad."

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you'll be alright? I can walk you to the choir room-"<p>

"It's fine. Mercedes texted me this morning and _he_'s wasn't there today."

"Maybe you gave him frostbite and he had to lose his toes," the older Hummel mumbled (he seemed far too pleased with the prospect, but Kurt let it go).

"I'll see you after."

"Be careful."

"I will."

Kurt stepped out of his father's truck and smiled back at him before going to shut the door.

"And Kurt?"

"Yes?"

"Kick some ass."

The teen chuckled lightly and closed the passenger door.

* * *

><p>"Kurt!" Mercedes squealed, enveloping him in a hug. "You're here!"<p>

"Couldn't miss it." Kurt hugged back tightly, happy for the comfort that he got from his best friend.

"You didn't have to come, boo," Mercedes insisted. "We would've understood."

New Directions (except for Rachel, and she was sworn into secrecy) didn't know the extent of what had happened in the locker room, but they did know that Kurt had been attacked by Karofsky and that he had frozen him until Blaine Warbler could come and help him out. All of Kurt's teammates were upset that they hadn't been able to stop it, but he assured them through a series of texts that there was nothing they could have done. Mercedes was, of course, adamant that she should've seen it in advance; he promised her that even Karofsky probably hadn't known it was going to happen. He was masking his fear and pain well, as anyone could tell, but they didn't point it out because they knew he deserved just that little bit of dignity.

"The Warbler council just contacted me," Mr. Shue announced, "and they're on their way. So let's get started!"

* * *

><p>New Directions, Kurt realized, didn't really do anything when they weren't being carefully led. For the most part the high schoolers were just lounging around the choir room (or in Mike and Tina's case, making out in Mr. Shue's office). So when the mass of boys in blazers showed up, the other show choir groaned at the prospect of actually having to work. Kurt stood immediately and pulled a certain Warbler off to the side.<p>

"Blaine," Kurt breathed out before wrapping his arms around the shorter boy's neck.

"I'm sorry I didn't call today. We have exams coming up and-"

"It's okay." Kurt pulled back so that his eyes could meet Blaine's and he grinned genuinely. "I'm just glad you're here."

"Shouldn't you be resting?"

"I got tired of watching depressing movies and feeling sorry for myself."

Blaine laughed and embraced the other boy again quickly. Kurt gave a valiant attempt towards _not_ sighing in contentment and melting into his arms, but it didn't really work. In hindsight, he noted that the whole "melting" expression was oddly fitting for the two of them.

"What do you want to work on today?" Blaine inquired after they had claimed the corner of the room that Kurt usually practiced in.

"I don't know… I just… um… I was kind of wondering if maybe I could use my powers to _un_freeze things because it's kind of… you know… inconvenient."

"We can try, Kurt. Let's talk through it, shall we? What does it feel like when you freeze something?"

Kurt thought about it for a moment. "It's kind of like… almost an instantaneous thing. Sometimes it kind of feels like the ice races from my heart to my fingertips and then it just happens, but sometimes I just blink and it's over."

"Let's work on the first case, then!"

"…How?"

"Well, you can freeze something and then try to take it back. Like, suck the ice back through your fingers and such."

"Blaine… do you know how to put out your own fires?"

"Only if they're the ones that actually start at my hands. If I'm really angry and something bursts into flame, say, ten feet away and I had no contact with it, then it's time to get a fire extinguisher because there's nothing I can do. Maybe your powers work like that. If you touch something to freeze it, maybe you can reverse the effect."

After borrowing a water bottle from one of Blaine's Warbler friends, the two pulled chairs over to the corner and Kurt held the bottle gingerly in his hands as though he was deathly afraid of what it might do to him.

"What if it doesn't work?"

"Then we'll try something else. And if it turns out that you can't unfreeze," Blaine guessed at Kurt's next question, "then I guess you'll just be stuck with me forever so that we can be a tag team!"

His smile was infectious, and Kurt found himself somewhat more positive about the experiment. Even if it failed miserably, he had the promise of being with Blaine _forever_ to look forward to, after all.

Kurt placed a delicate hand to the bottle and exhaled deeply.

"Concentrate on how it feels."

Slowly, even though he knew it was probably less than a second all together, he felt a distinct coldness in his chest that spread throughout his bloodstream like his heart was pumping ice through his veins. It continued to his fingertips where he felt the bottle become a large icicle and then his body snapped back to regular temperatures. When he looked back up at Blaine, the Warbler smiled at him hopefully.

"Did you notice anything?"

Kurt nodded, but didn't elaborate because he assumed that Blaine probably understood what he felt.

"Now try to take it back."

He focused again on the temperature of the plastic beneath his hand and almost undetectably it seemed to slink back into his skin where it finally collected back in his chest. Behind his closed eyelids he imagined the ice forming a solid layer around his heart.

"That was amazing, Kurt! I hate to say it, but I didn't actually expect that to work."

Kurt glared at his friend and placed the water bottle (now at room temperature again) on the floor.

"You made me try something that might not have even _worked_?"

"Well, I _hoped_, but powers can be a little unpredictable." Blaine smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "You're not really mad, are you?"

"I suppose not."

* * *

><p>Rachel sighed happily. "Ah, young love…"<p>

"Blaine and Kurt, right?" Her Warbler mentor guessed. "They've been giving off tons of gooey, fluffy emotions this whole time. That's why I tuned out for the moment. Which is what _you're_ supposed to be working on."

"I'm sorry! It's really hard when I keep catching bits of everyone's thoughts. Especially Kurt right now because he deserves this happiness. And then of course I have to check Blaine's mind to make sure he's not going to hurt my teammate and then I feel obliged to double check Kurt's intentions and it's a never-ending circle. And don't even get me started on all of the horrible things that come at me from _Puck_ and _Santana_," she shuddered.

"You have to try, Rachel. How are you going to make it on Broadway if you can't stay focused on your songs because the audience is projecting?"

"You're absolutely correct."

"Exactly. So try harder."

"Who am I supposed to be ignoring, again?"

"Who's the loudest in your head right now?"

"Um… Finn."

"_Really_?" Nick looked over at the tall boy and then back at Rachel. "What's he thinking?"

"That his Warbler looks funny when he tries to be as tall as him."

"And that's loud to you?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm used to looking for Finn to see if he's thinking about me."

"Okay, we can work with this. Who's next?"

"Kurt."

"Why do you think that is?"

"I guess out of everyone here, he's the closest friend I have? I check up on him. Especially after yesterday."

"Then?"

"Mercedes."

"I think I've got an idea. It seems like you hear people who you're close to most often and at the highest volume. Are you insecure?"

"What?"

"Do you always make sure they're thinking good things about you and see you like a friend?"

"Sometimes…"

"Then obviously you just have to push those insecurities back before you can successfully work on basically turning off your power. It's pretty simple. I had this trouble with feeling some of the Warblers' feelings too much because I wanted to make sure I wasn't annoying them. All I had to do was reassure myself of their attitudes towards me and then it was exponentially easier for me to tune them out. Try it with someone you _know_ likes you."

"I guess I know Finn kind of does since we're dating…"

"Kind of?"

"Okay, he's always really happy to see me."

"So you know he enjoys being around you."

"Yeah. I guess so."

"Keep that in mind and stop looking for him."

The absence of his voice (his sweet, kind voice) in her head shocked her for a moment. There was an empty space that was only partially filled with an incomprehensible murmur and nothing else where she was so used to hearing his commentary on the day.

"Is he gone?"

She nodded slowly. "There's just a low mumble-y sound."

"Perfect!"

Finn's thoughts suddenly snapped back into her head louder than ever before and she cringed.

"You do have to concentrate a bit at first before it stays away without thinking…"

"You couldn't have mentioned that before?"

"I don't really like thinking about how I found that out."

Rachel, feeling angry, viciously sought out Nick Duval's voice in her endless collection and she was happy to discover that he was reliving the event himself. She couldn't help the giggles as she witnessed, first hand, his two-day long obsession with Warbler Councilmember Thad when the senior's minute attraction for Nick had been multiplied tenfold after abruptly returning from being suppressed. It was made funnier by Nick's boyfriend's jealousy, and Rachel only stopped laughing when all of the New Directions and the Warblers (minus Nick, who was glaring) looked at her curiously.

"Get out of my head, Berry!"

"Now you know how we feel, dude," Finn said with a hint of sympathy and a whole lot of amusement.


End file.
